SEND

Special Educational Needs and Disability Provision and the Local Offer

From September 2014 all schools and academies are required to publish information about their SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS and DISABILITY (SEND) provision. In Wiltshire, this will form part of a Local Offer and details about our SEND provision, and that of other schools’ and agencies’ provision, will be found under a dedicated Local Offer website found here.

We also wish to ensure that our curriculum and our building do not discriminate against children with Special Educational Needs or a Disability. To see how we intend to do this, see our Accessibility Plan, 2016-2019 here.

Below is a set of questions that will help you understand more about SEND and our approach to SEND at Woodborough CE Primary School. Please click on a question to take you to the answer.

School Offer for Special Educational Needs and Disability

What is The School Offer?

As part of the Children and Families Bill 2014, all schools are required to make available their local SEND offer to families. This details how they can support children and young people with a special educational need and/or disability (SEND).

A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

What is the definition of SEND?

The term ‘special educational needs and disability’ has a legal definition, referring to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. Many children will have special needs of some kind at some time during their education.

Help will usually be provided in their ordinary school, sometimes with the help of specialists. If your child has special educational needs, they may need extra help in a range of areas, for example:

schoolwork

reading, writing, number work or understanding information

expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying

making friends or relating to adults

behaving properly in school

organising themselves

or some kind of sensory or physical needs which may affect them in school

An overview of our school

Woodborough CE Primary School currently has 160 children on roll in 7 classes.

10% of pupils are identified with a special educational need (SEN Support).

1.2 % of pupils are identified with a Statement of Special Educational Needs / Statutory My Plan.

All areas of the school are accessible to children with gross motor difficulties.

Curriculum

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's needs?

Woodborough CE Primary School ensures all teaching is differentiated to match the needs of each child. This is achieved through high quality planning and quality first teaching. This includes children who are very able, may have an additional need or have a special educational need.

Some children may require more focused support, and additional adults may be used to provide support where appropriate.

Some children may have additional needs which may require short term interventions or some additional support.

Some children who have a special educational need may require an Individual Support Plan to support their learning and enable them to access the curriculum.

Children are assessed under an ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ model. For more information on this, please refer to SEND Offer, Appendix 1.

Who can I talk to, and how, if I am not happy with what or how my child is learning?

The first point of contact for parents or carers is always your child’s class teacher.

Parents and carers are encouraged to speak informally to teachers after the school day, or request a formal appointment.

What is the level of support my child can get both in and out of the classroom?

The support your child receives will be tailored to their needs, through differentiated teaching, use of additional adults and personalised intervention programmes.

Extra-Curricular Social Activities

How will my child be included in activities outside of the classroom, including class trips?

Woodborough CE Primary School strives to include all children in all extra-curricular activities by providing appropriate resources.

A full risk assessment will be carried out prior to any trips which will detail any specific needs and measures to provide for these.

There are a range of extra-curricular clubs which aim to cater for all pupils.

Training and Resources

How are the school's resources allocated and matched to my child's needs?

Woodborough CE Primary School considers the needs of each child on an individual basis. In the first instance, all children receive high quality differentiated teaching which matches their needs.

Where additional resources (such as a specific intervention programme) are required, the class teacher will liaise with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and where appropriate the Headteacher (if support involves allocation of staffing), to develop a programme of support for your child. All intervention programmes are evidence based, and are used to narrow the gap between your child’s attainment and the attainment of their peers.

All classes have a teaching assistant for 15 hours per week. This is funded from the delegated budget and Pupil Premium finding. They are used to provide extra support for individuals or small groups of children in the core subjects of English and Maths.

What specialist services and expertise are available to my child?

As appropriate, Woodborough CE Primary School can access external professional support, including:

Speech and Language Therapy

Occupational Therapy

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (PCAHMS)

Educational Psychologists

and, Specialist Special Educational Needs Service (SEND) which includes:

Behaviour Support

Learning Support

Social Communication Needs

Qualified Teacher for visual Impairment

Qualified Teacher for hearing Impairment

Links with the School Nurse

Access to Parent Support Advisor

As appropriate, Woodborough CE Primary School has some staff who specialise in:

ELS ( Early Literacy Support)

Sparks (Occupational Therapy Programme)

Emotional Literacy (ELSA)

Sound Discovery (Phonics)

NESSY (Phonics)

Sir Kit’s Quest (KS2 Writing)

We strive to make all our classes as inclusive as possible, by developing systems and equipment that are designed to remove barriers to learning.

Assessment and Review

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

At Woodborough CE Primary School we strive to identify any special educational need as early as possible in order to provide the appropriate support.

Class teachers, supported by the SENCO and head teacher, assess the attainment and progress of all children regularly. This enables the school to identify children who may have an additional need or a special educational need which can be characterised by progress which:

is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline

fails to make the expected rate of progress

Where additional resources (such as a specific intervention programme) are required, the class teacher will liaise with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), and where appropriate the Headteacher (if support involves allocation of staffing), to develop a personalised programme of support for your child. All intervention programmes are evidence based, and are used to narrow the gap between your child’s attainment and the attainment of their peers, and remove any barriers to learning.

Appropriate assessment procedures are in place which will inform ambitious and achievable targets for your child. These are designed in collaboration with your child, class teacher, and SENCO where appropriate.

There are new SEN categories for September 2014. For more information, please refer to SEND Offer, Appendix 2.

How are children and young people involved in the assessment and review of needs?

At Woodborough CE Primary School, children play an active part in target setting and reviewing their progress, along with parents and carers.

Through Parent Consultation Evenings and SEN review meetings, parents are involved in the assessment and review of needs.

Communication

How will the school keep me informed about my child's progress?

At Woodborough CE Primary School, we place high value on working collaboratively with parents to ensure successful outcomes for all children. We aim to have an open-door policy where parents are encouraged to take full and appropriate involvement in their child’s education. Parents are encouraged to come into school on a regular basis to celebrate children’s successes, e.g. on open days and for assemblies / School Meetings.

Parents are also able to find out about their child’s progress through Parent Consultation Evenings, SEN review meetings, Annual Reports, and both formal and informal discussions with their child’s teacher and SENCO. Some children may also have a home-school communication book.

How will the school keep me informed about issues and problems with my child at school?

Other than in exceptional circumstances, your child’s class teacher will keep you informed through discussion in person, over the phone, or by letter.

How will I know what the school's expectations are for my child's progress?

In Parent Consultation Evenings and SEN review meetings, your child’s teacher will inform you about your child’s progress. Your child will also receive their Annual Report detailing all aspects of their efforts and development.

Who should I talk to is if I have a concern about my child in school?

The first point of contact for parents or carers is always their child’s class teacher.

Woodborough CE Primary School prides itself on being a school that actively listens to all children and puts their needs as paramount in all that we do.

Your child will be involved in the setting and reviewing of targets.

We operate a ‘peg system’ where children can express their views with any member of staff.

Transition

What are the transition arrangements from pre-school to Woodborough CE Primary School, and from Woodborough CE Primary School to secondary school?

Woodborough CE Primary School has very close links with a number of local pre-schools and nurseries. Staff from school visit local pre-schools throughout the year to ensure a smooth transition.

Woodborough CE Primary School also has close links with all of the Secondary Schools in the area and works collaboratively with them to ensure a smooth transition from the end of primary school to the beginning of secondary school.

We arrange additional visits to secondary school for children with additional needs or who are considered vulnerable, prior to them starting school.

How could I arrange a visit before my child starts at the school?

Visits to the school are warmly welcomed. You will be given a personal tour of the school and an opportunity to discuss any special/additional needs your child may have and how the school can effectively support them.